discussions of various issues by a homeschooling father

Monthly Archives: May 2011

We recently returned from a two-week vacation trip to Pennsylvania. Our itinerary included Gettysburg, Valley Forge, Lancaster County, and Hershey. We left on Monday, May 16, spent the night in St. Clairsville, OH, and arrived in Gettysburg on Tuesday, May 17. The first thing that we saw that afternoon was the American Civil War Wax Museum Complex at 297 Steinwehr Ave., Gettysburg, PA 17325 (717/334-6245; www.GettysburgMuseum.com ).

While there, you can relive America’s most epic struggle as more than 300 life-sized figures breathe life in the Civil War and experience the Battle of Gettysburg in the digitally enhanced Battleroom Auditorium. It is an inspiring and educational experience for families. In addition to the wax museum and battle room exhibit, there is a gift shop with books, souvenirs, apparel, and collectibles, and living history programs are available.

The Little Red Schoolhouse Educational Memorabilia Center at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, is an old one-room school that is now a part of the University’s collection of pre-1940 educational memorabilia. The schoolhouse, built in 1875, was originally located in Huron County, southeast of Norwalk, Ohio. The building was 100 years old when it was dismantled and moved to the BGSU campus, and reconstructed, to become a living history museum in 1975. Only twelve other colleges or universities in the United States have one-room schools on campus. The building is visited by more than 1,000 people each year, including hundreds of school children who come here for field trips. Fully restored with many original items, the schoolhouse provides an ideal classroom experience, and faculty are encouraged to consider the site for class meetings. Tour guides are also available to provide a 20-minute orientation to the schoolhouse.

One thing that has brought many Bible believers to homeschooling has been the outright promotion of homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle in the public schools. Here is an interesting note on that subject entitled “Where teachers shouldn’t tread” by Bill Bumpas of OneNewsNow on 5/4/2011.

The Tennessee Senate is expected to vote soon on a bill that bars discussion of homosexuality in kindergarten through eighth grade.

The author of S.B. 0049 is Senator Stacey Campfield, who tells OneNewsNow that families — not teachers — should decide when and what should be said about the controversial subject of homosexuality.

“To say a teacher should decide for every family and every child what they think is appropriate and what they think is right and what time they think it’s proper to introduce it to a child — I just think that’s going too far,” says Campfield.

The Republican lawmaker argues that family involvement is needed because teachers cannot do it all.

“We’re already falling behind in what schools I think are intended for, which is teaching math, science, English, history — the bare basics,” he states. “But now they’re getting into teaching of their social philosophy, and I don’t think that’s where our schools need to be going. I think that’s where our families need to be going.”

Campfield believes that because Republicans have control of the Senate, House, and governorship in Tennessee, there is a good opportunity that the bill will eventually become law. The State House, however, may not take up the issue until next year.

My take on the subject: So far as I am concerned, the public schools of this nation are no longer worthy of my support and are not fit places for children of people who fear God. Therefore, I will continue to homeschool and encourage others to do likewise no matter what.

However, under the Biblical principle that “righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people,” I support and endorse every effort to clean up public schools to whatever degree they may be cleaned up. And under the Biblical principle, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” I do encourage those who are trying to get sinful and shameful promotions out of the public schools simply for the good of the innocent children whose parents feel that cannot homeschool and must send them there.